Ankle support



W. J. M LINDEN ANKLE SUPPORT Filed "Dec.

Patented Dec. 2, 1924.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' WILLIAM JOHN MO'LINDEN, or OWEN sounn, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR T0 GAN- ADA CYCLE & MOTOR COMPANY, LIMITED, or WESTON, ONTARIO, CANADA.

' ANKLE SUPPORT.

Application filed December 31, 1921 Seriafl No. 526,365.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM JOHN MoLINDnN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of the city of Owen Sound, county of Grey, Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ankle Supports, described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, that form part of the same.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide an improved ankle support for skaters which will allow perfect freedom for the natural forward bending of the ankle while rigidly supporting the foot and ankle joint against lateral strain and to devise a construction which will not pinch and wear the shoe and which may be manufactured at very low cost.

The principal feature of this invention consists in certain improvements in construction of the type of support disclosed in Letters Patent No. 943,703, issued to me under date of Dec. 21, 1909, whereby the backward movement of the flexible portion of the device is definitely limited and whereby the lateral strength is increased and the whole.

construction is simplified.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device in the normal rest position.

Figure 2 is a perspective View showing the position of the parts when the skater rises on the toe of the skate.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical mid-sectional view of the upper portion of the device.

It is well known that in skating the ankle must be free to bend forward and backward and it was found that the construction shown in my previous patent would permit of a detrimental pinching action.

In the construction herein shown the lower member 1 of the angle support, which is rigidly secured to the heel of the shoeat the lower end, is formed with a transversely arranged pair of hinge sections 2 spaced apart.

A link member 3, preferably formed of sheet metal is provided with the side flanges 4 which extend outside the hinge sections 2 and a pin 5 extending through the hinge sections and said flanges pivotally connects the link to the member 2.

The lower end 6 of the back of the link is curved to fit snugly around the back of the hinge sections 2 and abuts the member 1 to limit the backward movement of the link.

A spring 7 is coiled around the pin 5 between the hinge sections and one end engages the member 1 and the other presses against the inner side of the link to spring hold it in its backward position with the curved end 6 abutting the member 1.

The upper member 8 of the support is formed of a fiat strip of metal curved longitudinally and having the lower end formed with a hinge section 9 which fits between the flanges of the link and is pivotally secured by the pin 10.

The member 8 is slotted longitudinally and the shank 11 of a rivet 12 extends therethrough, the head of the rivet being on the back side. A washer 13 is fitted Over the shank of the rivet and bears against the forward side of the member 8 and a strap 14: is secured to the inner end of the rivet. This strap is adapted to encircle the ankle of the skater at the top of the shoe and is adjustable On the member 8 by reason of the sliding connection of the rivet therewith.

The hinge construction of thelink is very strong and the upper member 8 is rigidly supported laterally thereby butit is perfectly flexible in the plane of the natural movement of the ankle in skating and will readily adapt itself to any position of the foot without binding and by reason of the limitation of the backward movement of the link it will be impossible for the lower end of the member 8 to be forced backward to strain the ankle strap.

The slotted upper member being free to slide on the rivet 12 allows of any extraordinary bending movement of the ankle beyond that which may be taken care of by the swinging of the link and it also permits of proper adjustment in attaching the ankle strap.

It will be readily seen that the construction lends itself to very economical conditions of manufacture and that the device will be very strong and durable.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In an ankle support, the combination with an upright member arranged at the back of the shoe and rigidly secured to the heel, of a link member formed with side flanges adapted to swivelly engage the upper end of the rigid member, a pin extending a link member pivotally secured to said up- 10 through said side flanges and the rigid IIlBHlher, a lug extending below the pivot pin adapted to engage the outside of the rigid member to limit the outward swinging of the link, and a barpivoted in the upper end of said link adapted to support the ankle.

2. In an ankle support, the combination with a rigid upright secured to the heel, of

right and having a stop to limit its outward movement, a spring encircling the pivot and having one end engaging the upright and the other the link to spring hold the .link outward, a bar pivotally connected to the upper end of the link, and means for securing the upper end of said bar to the ankle. WILLIAM JOHN MCLINDEN. 

